delineate
verb
de·lin·eate
di-ˈli-nē-ˌāt 
dē-
delineated; delineating
1
2
a
: to indicate or represent by drawn or painted lines
b
: to mark the outline of
lights delineating the narrow streets
Examples of delineate in a Sentence
He plants his skates millimeters outside the blue-tinted 44-square-foot arena that delineates the crease and refuses to budge …
—
Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated, 21 May 2007
Screenwriter Christopher Hampton introduces a large gallery of characters, subtly delineating the unspoken class biases that will keep Robbie, for all his confidence, charm and Cambridge education, an outsider.
—David Ansen, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2007
So Madrid finally ordered Onís to cut the best deal he could. The resulting Transcontinental (or Adams-Onís) Treaty of 1819 ceded Florida to the United States and delineated the boundary between American and Spanish territory all the way to the Pacific Ocean …
—Walter A. McDougall, Promised Land, Crusader State, 1997
Privacy plays a unique role in American law. Although considered a core value by most citizens, it is not explicitly delineated as a protected right by the U.S. Constitution.
—Edward A. Cavazos et al., Cyberspace and the Law, 1994
The report clearly delineates the steps that must be taken.
The characters in the story were carefully delineated.
Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated, 21 May 2007
Screenwriter Christopher Hampton introduces a large gallery of characters, subtly delineating the unspoken class biases that will keep Robbie, for all his confidence, charm and Cambridge education, an outsider.
—David Ansen, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2007
So Madrid finally ordered Onís to cut the best deal he could. The resulting Transcontinental (or Adams-Onís) Treaty of 1819 ceded Florida to the United States and delineated the boundary between American and Spanish territory all the way to the Pacific Ocean …
—Walter A. McDougall, Promised Land, Crusader State, 1997
Privacy plays a unique role in American law. Although considered a core value by most citizens, it is not explicitly delineated as a protected right by the U.S. Constitution.
—Edward A. Cavazos et al., Cyberspace and the Law, 1994
The report clearly delineates the steps that must be taken.
The characters in the story were carefully delineated.
Recent Examples on the Web
By failing to delineate bitcoin’s resilience and liquidity advantage, Trump’s advisors invite exactly that sort of risk.
—Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
Approved in 2014, these AVAs were delineated by geographic boundaries that considered the natural diversity of the soils and other dominant conditions of each microclimate.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 24 Feb. 2025
All the actors make assertive impressions that can nonetheless only go so far in delineating figures who remain basically ciphers.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 17 Feb. 2025
Inside, the Victorian-era home (which was built in 1885) brims with charm, thanks to individual color palettes that delineate its rooms, from the moodier bunk bed quarters to the powdery pastels of the living room.
—Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for delineate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
Approved in 2014, these AVAs were delineated by geographic boundaries that considered the natural diversity of the soils and other dominant conditions of each microclimate.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 24 Feb. 2025
All the actors make assertive impressions that can nonetheless only go so far in delineating figures who remain basically ciphers.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 17 Feb. 2025
Inside, the Victorian-era home (which was built in 1885) brims with charm, thanks to individual color palettes that delineate its rooms, from the moodier bunk bed quarters to the powdery pastels of the living room.
—Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for delineate
Cite this Entry
“Delineate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/delineate. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
delineate
verb
de·lin·eate
di-ˈlin-ē-ˌāt
delineated; delineating
1
: to indicate by lines : sketch
2
: to describe in sharp or vivid detail
delineate the characters in a story
delineation
noun
-ˌlin-ē-ˈā-shən
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share